KUWAIT, Dec 1 (KUNA) -- His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah kicked off the opening session of the 45th Session of the Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Sunday.
During the opening speech, His Highness welcomed the leaders and distinguished guests, extending his sincere thanks to the Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, for his wise leadership and efforts during the previous summit in Doha.
He added that this gathering, hosted by Kuwait, "is a testament to our unity, an embodiment of the strength of our union, and a reflection of our unwavering belief in the necessity of enhancing and unifying GCC joint action." His Highness added, "Together, we strive to broaden the scope of cooperation to meet the aspirations of our people, ensuring security, prosperity, and stability for our nations." He said, "This necessitates accelerating our efforts to achieve GCC economic integration through unified policies, diversification of non-traditional income sources, facilitation of trade and investment, and support for local industries." "It is also vital to expand innovation and entrepreneurship, especially in emerging fields such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), to enhance the competitiveness of our economies regionally and globally." "Our journey toward building an integrated Gulf economy relies on key pillars, foremost among them education," he indicated, adding, "We aim to nurture the talents of our youth, inspiring them to contribute to the integrated Gulf economy we envision." "Since the first GCC summit of Abu Dhabi in 1981, established by my late brother Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the GCC has demonstrated that through unity and solidarity, our nations can achieve prosperity for our people and ensure security," he stated He urged, "The international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to fulfill its responsibilities by ensuring the implementation of relevant resolutions, halting the violence, providing international protection for innocent civilians, and securing safe corridors for urgent humanitarian aid." "We reiterate our unwavering support to Palestine and to end the Israeli occupation, attain all their political rights, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international resolutions," he stressed.
"We also commend Qatar, Egypt, and the US for their mediation efforts in achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and welcome the ceasefire in Lebanon as a step toward de-escalation," His Highness the Amir said.
"We commend the positive steps expressed by Iran towards the GCC and look forward to resolving outstanding issues and enhancing cooperation in accordance with the UN Charter and international law," he added.
His Highness concluded, "We reaffirm our commitment to advancing joint Gulf action, meeting the aspirations of our people, and building a bright future of prosperity and stability." (pickup previous) ahm